Interlocking modular tiles provide a quick and easy option to cover a variety of sizes and shaped surface areas. Simple assembly of the tiles allows users to quickly restore and enhance surface appearance of any undesirable characteristics of the floor surface, such as stains and markings. Usually made of durable material, the tiles also serve as a protective layer of existing floor surface.
There are many known modular tiles with interlocking elements addressing all manner of various needs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,114 to Mandel (Aug. 1998) describes quick assembly interlocking tiles having generally T-shaped connectors. U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,167 to Chang (July, 2003) in which the interlocking elements have a different configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,705 to MacDonald (March 2003) provides tile with different configuration connectors. While there exist many other tile configurations, many of these are merely for decorative purposes and do not take into consideration the problem of binding, which often exists during installation. Since the connectors have to interlock exactly, slight variations of the tiles tend to grind or “bind” together, causing the tiles to poorly fit around each other. Some of the configuration also creates the problem in which the connectors do not interlock tightly and can cause the floor modules to become disconnected with each other. As one unit of the interlocking tile binds the other, the whole surface of tiles can be uneven, unfitted and unsafe.
Thus, there is still a need for improvements to interlocking tiles that allow for greater flexibility and easy of use.
This and all other referenced patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.